Miller Admitted Passing Secrets, Says Fbi Agent

September 7, 1985|United Press International

LOS ANGELES — Less than two hours after FBI Agent Richard W. Miller was arrested for espionage, handcuffed and put in the back of an FBI car, he admitted giving secret documents to his Russian lover, his bureau head testified Friday.

The admission came in the early hours of Oct. 3, 1984. Only an hour earlier, at 11:38 p.m., Oct. 2, Bretzing had stood by while another agent read Miller his rights in the driveway outside his home in Bonsall, north of San Diego.

Bretzing climbed into the back seat of the FBI car next to Miller for the ride to the FBI`s San Diego office, and asked the agent about the four-month romance with the woman prosecutors say convinced him to turn over documents in exchange for a promised $65,000 in cash and gold.

Bretzing said he asked if Miller knew the document he gave Ogorodnikova was secret.

``He said he knew it was secret and that all the documents crossing his desk were secret,`` Bretzing testified.

When asked how he could have given such information to a Soviet woman, Miller made no reply, Bretzing said.

``Mr. Miller remained silent,`` Bretzing said. ``He did not answer the question.``